Process of making floor coverings



- June 24, 1930. R, Q JACKSON ,75,588

PROCESS OF MAKING FLOOR COVERINGS Filed OCT.. 15. 1926 2 SheebS-Sheeb l June 24, 1930;

-JACKSON PROCESS OF MAKING FLOOR COVERINGS- Filed 0G12. l5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvmww/ YA A?" ooo gg nos n o 'S n W ag oso u c o I ooo s Oso o o Hi* .0' mi V m ol v. Lm

y'l E i M3 d'1 fh n xll V [ffl Patented June Z4, 1930 umso STATE RATE? RALPH G. JACKSON, OF WOODBURY, NEW' JERSEY PROCESS 0F IEAKING FLOOR, OOVERIINGS Application led @cto'ber 13, 1926. Serial No. 14?.,396.

a ploying as a base, la elted material such as asphaltic floor paper, it has been found necessary to seal the base with some material which will prevent the asphalt constituents from seeping through the painted vor printed design, especially when a temperature rise is experienced as when drying the painted design by artiicial means. lt has lbeen proposed heretofore to overcome this diculty by first coating the material with a lacquer such as a liquid or plastic pyroxylin compound on both sides. The chief objection to this procedure is the expense involved in a process of this character due to the relatively high cost of pyroxylin as compared to paint. i The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved process for making Hoor coverings similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,562,386, issued November 17,. 1925, to C. Marshall Taylor, which shall effectively seal the base in a simple and inexpensive manner and which shall insure a product of high quality and long wearing qualities. l

Another object is to provide a novel and improved process consisting of relatively few steps which may be carried out expeditiously and without the use of highly skilled labor.

tioned paint by articial means over a relaf tively long period, and iinally applying a coating of transparent lacquer such as pyroxylin over the design.

In thel drawing `accompanying ing part of this application Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view and formthrough an apparatus for carrying out the irst step of my process;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and

Figs. 3 and 4t are vertical sectional views through machines illustrating respectively the method of carrying out the second and third steps of my process, namely the application of the design and drying, and applying the transparent lacquer coating and drying. f

ln carrying out my improved process, l pass the felted base material 1 from a roll 2 through suitable rollers 3 and 3a, the latter being adapted to apply a coating oi relatively quick drying paint to one side of the material. The paint in this instance may be fed from a supply roller a to /the roll 3a, andthence to one side of the material, and in accordance with this invention li use a paint composed substantially of apigment,

linseed oil, and a low boiling vehicle such as benzine, so that as the material leaves the rolls and passes into a drying room 5- heated by artiiicial means, the paint may be quickly dried at a temperature well below that which would bring the asphaltic constituents of the base to the surface of the felted material. As an example, the paint l" used for covering the back of the material may consist etz-500i lbs. talckene, 100 lbs. Whiting, 200 lbs. red oxide, 30 gals. oil, 25 gals. naphtha. rlhe ,above mentioned oil may consist 0152-350 lbs. rosin, 171A)J lbs. lime, 187 gals. linseed oil, 20 lbs. litharge, l0 lbs. black oxide, 100 gals. varnolene.

The top or wear side of the material may be coated with a paint consisting o:-300 lbs. Whiting, 350 lbs. talckene, gals. oil, 5 gals. mixed varnish, 5 gals. varnolene. rlhe oil in the paint for the top side may be the same as used for the bottom side paint. From the above, it will be apparent that the paints applied to both sides of the material have a relativelyhigh content of low boiling point diluent, so that they are of a quick drying nature. The material is illustrated as being supported in festoon arrangement in the drying room in order toeXpose the painted surface and hasten drying which is accomplished in a relatively short time.

The festoons of material painted on one side are moved slowly through the drying roombv by suitable conveyors denoted generally at 6, such festoons proceeding along one side of the drying room to a point adjacent the other end whereupon they are turned through 180 and brought back along the opposite side of the drying room as clearly shown in lig. 2. rlhe material emerging from the drying room is leadback to the paint rollers over suitable angularly disposed guides Z and 8 so as to present the opposite side of the material to the paint rollers. rlhe material, having been coated on theopposite side, is again dried in the room 5, as above described, and is then rolled up. 1n this manner ll effectively seal the asphaltic constituents in the base in a relatively inexpensive manner, as the afore mentioned quick drying paint is easy to apply and comparatively inexpensive to prouce.

The roll 10 of material painted on both sides is then fed through a suitable print machine 11 Where the desired design units are printed as the base material. is moved therethrough With a step by step motion.

` l? or this purpose ll preferably employ' high grade linseed oil paints which dry relatively slowly as 'compared to the aforementioned base coating and Which completely cover the base coating on one side so that a highly durable surface Will be presented. As the printed material emerges from the'machine 11, it is cut into the desired lengths at 12, and is then placed on horizontal racks 13 in an articially heated drying room 1el-. The printed material thus placed is subjected to a relatively high temperature over a considerable length of time, yas compared to the first mentioned drying room. 'lhis procedure thoroughly dries the slow drying `I."-painted design and hardens the painted surface so as to present a yhard and durable surface.

After the painted design has thoroughly dried and hardened, the strips are removed from the drying room and rolled up to facilitate handling, whereupon each roll 15 is passed between rollers 16 to apply a coating of lacquer over the painted design. 'lihese rollers are substantially inflexible lengthe Wise. rlhey are nine feet long and are eightv inches in diameter for the coating of standard Width door coverings of either strip or rugK pattern. ln practice, l preferably ernploy a pair of rollers, the upper of Which is fitted With a rubber sleeve 17 so that the "flacquer coating will Vbe applied evenly tothe painted surface, which, due to the design in heavy paints, usually presents ,an uneven surface. This sleeve is preferably .about three-fourths of an inch in thickness and of a density or compactness similar to that of the tread' of an automobile tire.

The use of a roller of this character, that is a roller the material of which is softer than the painted door covering, enables me to apply a substantial coating of lacquer over the entire irregular painted surface Which Will present a durable Wear surface rather than a thin and uneven varnish or finishing surface vsuch as is usually obtained with steel or other non-resilient rollers. llt has been found in actual practice that when lacquer is applied by a steel or other non-resilient roller, the raised painted design portions, as contrasted With the background portions, vreceive a relatively thin or meager lacquer coating, although in use these portions receive the greatest Wear. Contrasted to this the present rubber roller and process make it possible to apply sufficient material to such high points so that the lacquer surface can resist the usual Wear to which such floor covering is subjected. A. resilient roller formed from rubber, asabove described, is, of course, non-soluble in the lacquer solvents and hence Will last a considerable length of time Without appreciable Wear or deterioration.- The lacquer may be applied from a reservoir 19 located above the rollers and tilted from `time to time by hand to :dood the upper roller and form a pool on the surface of the' material immediately in front thereof as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4C.' From the rollers 16, the material passes onto suitable racks 20 which maybe horizontal or inclined, as the lacquer dries' -very quickly and there is little or no danger of its running. Drying is facilitated by en- -closing the racks 20 by a suitable enclosure 21 and, if desired, by also passing a heated air draft therethrough.

lrom the drying enclosure 21, the material isztransported to an inspection room. Where it is marked and packaged.

By the application of lacquer to the painted design surface, it will be obvious that a product of great durability is prov duced as the lacquer adords a tough. coating for the painted design, and after the lacquer Wears o the design Will withstand considerable Wear, due to the use of high grade slow drying paints which completely y cover the cheap rapid drying base paint. Since a cheap base paint is employed, a higher grade paint than usual may be employed for the design, together With a lacquer coating ,.thereover, With substantially no increase in cost of the finished product fover that of previous processes.

lWhile ll have disclosed the first step of my process as applying the sealing coat of paint first to one side of the material, then to the opposite side, it will be obvious that both sides vmay be coated simultaneously, if desired. Also, the lacquer coating may be applied to both sides of the material after the design has been applied to one side, if,

messes desired to completely waterproof the entire nished prod-uct.

- ll claim l. The process of making floor coverings which consists in the steps of first coating an asphaltic base material on both sides with a quick drying oil paint having a high content of a low boiling diluent and jdrying said paint by artificial means to quickly seal the asphaltic constituents in the base, and

then printing a design on one surfaceof the painted base with a relatively slow vdrying paint.

l quick drying painted surface therewith, and finally applying a transparent pyroxylin 2. The process'of making floor coverings which consists in the steps of first coating an asphaltic base material on both sides with an oil paint containing a relatively low boiling point vehicle and quickly drying said paint by artificial means. to seal the asphaltic constituents in the base,l Vthen printing a design on one surface of the painted base with a relatively slow drying paint, and finally applying a transparent durable coating over the surface containing the design.

3. The process of making floorcoverings which consists in the steps of first coating an asphaltic base material on both sides with a quick drying oil paint having a high content of a low boiling diluent and drying v said paint byartiicial means to quickly seal the asphaltic constituents in the base, then printing a design on one surface ofthe painted base with a relatively slow drying paint and covering substantially all the coating over the surface containing the design by means of a roller having a resilient surface.

4. rlthe process of' making floor covering which consists in the stepsfof first coating an asphaltic base on both sides with a quick drying oil paint having a high content of a low boiling diluent and drying said paint by .artificial means to quickly seal the asphaltic constituents in the base, next printing a designV on one surface of the painted base with a slow drying paint and covering substantially all of said surface therewith to provide a durable wearing surface, and finally coating said surface with a transparent pyroxylin compound to render said surface waterproof and further increase the wearing qualities thereof.

5. rfhe process of making floor covering which consists in the steps of first coating an asphaltic base material on both sides with a quick drying oil paint having a high content of a low boiling diluent and drying said paint by artificial means to quickly seal the asphaltic constituents in the base, next printin a design on one surface of the painte base with a slow drying paint and` covering substantially all of said surface therewith to provide a durable wearing vsurface, then cutting the base thus decorated into predetermined lengths/and subjecting such lengths while spread out to artificial drying means, and finally coating each of said lengths with a transparent pyroxylin compound to render said surface waterproof andfurther increase the wearing qualities thereof.v

6. The process of making oor coverings which includes the step of applying a wear coating of a lacquer in substantially even thickness over the irregular contour of a painted design by passing the floor covering between a pair of rollers, and applying a transparent coating solution to the decorated lsurface by maintaining a pool of the solution on the approach side of the rollers', said rollers engaging said covering sufliciently to draw it therebetweenV and serving to evenly distribute the solution over the hill and dale surface of the covering in substantially equal' thickness over the peaks and depressions, the roller engaging the decorated surface being provided with a surface of yieldable material ca able of conforming to the decorated sur ace whereby any excess of the solution is prevented from collecting in the depressions of the decorated surface. v

7. rllhe process of making floor coverings which includes the step of applying a wear coating of -a lacquer in substantially even thickness over the irregular contour of a painted design by passing the Hoor covering with the decorated surface uppermost between two horizontally extending power driven rollers both of a length at least that of the width of the floor covering, and applying a transparent lacquer to the decorated surface by maintaining a pool of the solution on the decorated surface at the approach side of the rollers, said rollers engaging said covering suciently rmly to draw it therebetween and serving to evenly distribute the solution over the hill and dal(- surface of the covering, the roller engaging said ,decorated 'surface including an outer yieldably material capable of conforming to the irregularities of the decorated surface whereby excess of the solution is prevented from passingbetween the rollers and the material is applied with even thickness to both high points and low points on the coverlng. y In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RALPH G. JACKSON. 

